State

Tar Нее i. Towns ‘ x / Cramerton T*hc jewel in the crown of Gascon County mill towns is still holding on to its character in a world of rapid change. О nee .«n .ward-winning textile mill village, and still considered by its 2,400 citizens as a “swell" place to live, the Gaston County town of Cramer¬ ton has managed to hold on *<» its unique and somewhat anachronis¬ tic identity for nearly 90 years now. Still exhibiting the neat-as-a-piii charm it had during its textile hey¬ day, Cramerton is one hamlet proud of its place in the past and confident of its stake in the future. Originally called Maysworth. Cramerton was founded in 1906 when J.H. Mays built a textile mill near the South Fork Catawba River just east of Gastonia. In 1910, textile engi¬ neer and Thomasville native Stuart Cramer look over mill operations, founded Cramer Mills, and by 1915 had given the Sown its present name. A progressive textile leader, Cramer had by the mid-l920s created what many considered to be the elite mill village in (he nation. Always taking into account his employees’ welfare, the enlightened Cramer saw to it that all who toiled lor him were treated fairly, fed and housed. To provide food at reasonable pi ices for mill hands, Cramer set up a wor king farm at the base of Cramer Mountain where «laity g«HMls and vegetables were produced for his workers to purchase- lor pennies. From his 37-room mansion atop the mountain. Stuart Cramer could also look down upon the- 500 oi so houses especially constructed to house his work- ton e, lire envy of mill workers lar and wi le, ihesc snug homes (the majority of whir !i still stand) rented for just 50cents pet room per month and featured such unh' 1 offcatures as indoor plumbing and кем пс hot water heaters. f aring . r his workers, and instilling A recently constructed gazebo helps show off downtown Cramerton. in them a sense of community that lives on today, reaped great benefits for Imih Cramer and his town. Humming night and day lor several decades. Cramerton Mills produced seersucker and gingham cloth as well as a heavy cotton material used for L'.S. At my uniforms known as “Cramerton cloth." Folks who work hard know how to play- hard. and the citizens of Cramcrton's yesteryears did just that Cramcrton's mill league baseball learn “The First Nine" was always a bit with such colorful players as “Puffy" Stone. "Red" I .avion and "Runt" McDonald. Cramcrton's Gingham Square Dance Team also pro vided many evenings of foot-stompin' merriment. Stuart Cramer was no stick in the mud himsell. and would often cruise the South Fork River in his boat, waving to workers strolling the shore. The World War II era saw many changes come to Cramerton. In 1940 the baronial Stuart Cramer passed away. For the duration of the war his family con- tinued to run the empire he had creat¬ ed. Finally, however, in 1946 Cramer Mills was sold to Burlington Mills. Burlington soon set about selling off Cramer ton's rental mill houses, some for as little as $2.000. Not wishing to appear as Simon l.egree. Burlington did con¬ tinue for many years to sponsor fashion shows, company picnics and holiday festivities for Cramcrton's r«-sidents Time marched on in Crainerton, bringing with it in the 1950s the devel¬ opment by Burlington Mills of the l-ikc- wood subdivision on the outskirts of town, the 1967 incorporation of Cramer¬ ton itself, and finally in the 1970s the decision by Burlington to close- the textile mills that had for so many years defined Cramerton itself. From thaf traumatic time up to the present, Cramerton has not gone under, but rather surfaced, gotten its breath and started stroking towards a belter shore with all the spirit that Tar I leclsare noted for. l-ocated as it is just off highway L’.S. 7-1 between Belmont and Gas¬ tonia makes finding Cramerton a snap. A quick motor tour of town begins with the new Cramer Mar¬ ketplace shopping strip at the cor¬ ner *>f U.S. 7-1 and Market Street. Right across the road sits local landmark Recce Hardware where customers can do everything from pay their power hills, purchase a first-class combineltc or listen to I-croy Reece's endless tales about Cramerton. Just past the hardware store is a new concrete bridge spanning the double Southern Railroad tracks that suture through the heart of town. There is no wrong side of the tracks to live on in Cramerton. but the two main roads that run parallel to either side of the rails do have their own distinctive character. The street on the northeast side <»f the it .« ks. 8th Street, has scattered along its curl» many beautifully restored mill-era homes. Cramcrton’s town hall, the old Maysworth School, the First Baptist Church and its lovely stained glass win¬ dows. and the quaint white-frame Cramerton Presbyterian Church. Moved to Cramerton many years ago. tfiiswood- cn building had at one time been used by the U.S. Army as a chapel. Past the fire department. 8th Street swings round a bend to little Constitu¬ tion Park, where a recently constructed gazebo and fountain stand alongside a stone monument to Stuart Cramer. Past the park is a cluster of old. red brick buildings, behind which is another *> The Statc/ScfCcmhci I*»} 10